Citizen Rex Comic Analysis

Page 59 of Citizen Rex contains a number of elements discussed in Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics. Published in 2009, the work as a whole is illustrated in a very distinct Underground Cartoonist style. This specific style derived from a counterculture of artists who, during the 80’s and 90’s, began to illustrate using more iconic imagery to depict adult storylines and material. On the scale of realism and iconic portrayal of characters, Hernandez’s illustration style falls into a category somewhere between the “adventure comic” appearance and the slightly more abstract face directly after.

Another technique used quite effectively in this panel sequence is participation, specifically pertaining to the movement of characters and objects. In the first panel, Rex and the engineers who repaired him are seen in a tunnel, their torsos hunched forward and legs bent. This pose gives readers the suggestion of motion, but by “participating” in the plot, readers give motion to the characters. In the last two panels of the page, participation is utilized again for the animation of Rex’s arm. This is aided by curved lines that represent the iconic symbol for motion, giving the reader a clear mental image of the arm springing to life and chopping off the scientists head. In addition, this “motion” is accompanied by the most basic of received words (i.e. “swoop!” and “zzzzt!”), adding an audio aspect to the readers participation senses.

This panel sequence not only incorporates “reality” and language, but also includes aspects of the picture plane. Abstraction refers to the non-iconic style, where an illustration is not meant to depict any specific person, place, or idea, and often prompts the question “what does it mean?” This ambiguity of imagery is demonstrated perfectly in the form of the “mysterious block,” which appears throughout the story. Its rectangular form (a basic shape), as well as the word “why?” written on the side acts as a visible representation of the picture plane’s abstract imagery.

Question: How does the struggle for robot rights and the surgical addition of prosthetic limbs relate to the Chicano Movement?

"Miss Clairol" Layered Questions

1.) What is Champs relation to Arlene? Why do you think Champ is on a first name basis with Arlene and what does this suggest about their relationship? How does Arlene’s personality impact her relationship with Champ and how is Champs maturity ironic in contrast?

2.) What do Arlene and Champ go shopping for at K-Mart? Why do you think Arlene puts so much effort into her appearance and why do you think she changes it so often? How does this passage portray American consumerism and what do you think it’s trying to demonstrate about the members of the post Chicano Movement generation?

Rivera vs. Rodriguez

Rivera’s “…And the Earth Did Not Devour Him” and Rodriguez’s “Aria” are contemporary texts which touch upon racial conflicts faced by Mexicans during the Chicano movement.

Both texts explore the pain and embarrassment of being an outcast, a feeling shared by the main characters, and their desire to gain a sense of belonging in American society. Most significantly, the characters’ social strife is illustrated in their experiences with public education. In Rivera’s novel, the young protagonist reflects on the events of the past year with a sense of resignation arising from instances of exploitation to himself and his people. “It’s That It Hurts” the protagonist is continually teased at school for being Mexican, and is singled out and punished when trying to defend himself against bullies. Angered by the blatant racism, he is also filled with shame for his heritage and being “different.”

            Similarly, Rodriguez recounts his school years and the discomfort that comes from entering a new environment. Rodriguez found himself lacking proper communication skills and his embarrassment motivated him to learn English. Only through proper communication did he feel he could avoid disadvantages in his education.

            Another connection between the texts was the deep compassion that the mothers had for their children. In Rivera’s “A Prayer,” the mother portrays a stereotypical martyr when begging for the safe return of her son from war. She even goes so far as to boldly offer up her “very own heart” for that of her son.

Though not quite as dramatic, I sensed a similar desire from Rodriguez’s mother as she offered him the chance at a good life. When the nuns came to visit their home and complain of Richard’s lack of fluency in English, his mother didn’t hesitate in requiring that her children practice their English at home. This appeared to be a significant sacrifice because of the intimacy of the Spanish language Rodriguez so often discussed.

            Along those same lines, I also noted a strong desire to maintain community and family in these stories. While each chapter of Rivera’s novel represented an individual memory, overall, the hope and strife of each separate character was shared to some extent with the people around them. Of all the chapters, the two that I felt best portrayed these aspects were “The Little Burnt Victims” and “When We Arrive.”

In the former, neighbor children of the protagonist were killed in a tragic turn of events after viewing a boxing movie and attempted the same career path. I found it ironic that when the Garcia’s deviated from their original Chicano way of life to follow this rags-to-riches “American dream”, they ended up worse off than they were before. “When We Arrive” provided an example of how tight-knit the Chicano community was when it came to their constant migration. Despite the weary self-delusion this chapter radiated, the unity in shouldering their burden together helped the migrants to look to a better future and provide solace to their dismal present.

Like “The Little Burnt Victims,” “Aria” demonstrated the threat to close family ties that can occur when the protagonist began to acculturate himself into American society. As Richard became more fluent in English, so too did he begin to grow more ashamed of his parents and more distant from his native language and the intimacy his family used to share through their conversions in Spanish. As a reader it was sad to watch him transform from reacting joyfully to the language common only in the home to practically ceasing to use it at all in an attempt to fit in.

Question: What are the possible advantages and disadvantages to the bilingual education teaching method?  Is it more important for students to maintain a sense of their heritage, or to be able to fit in and compete in society by acculturating to their environments? Can there be an effective blend of both?

Woman Hollering Creek: Reflection

“In the morning sometimes…Cleofilas thinks, This is the man I have waited my whole life for. Not that he isn’t a good man. She has to remind herself why she loves him when she changes the baby’s Pampers, or when she mops the bathroom floor, or tries to make the curtains for the doorways without doors, or whiten the linen…He is not very tall, no, and he doesn’t look like the men on the telenovelas…this man, this father, this rival, this keeper, this lord, this master, this husband till kingdom come.”

                Of all the passages in “Woman Hollering Creek,” the three paragraphs on page forty-nine were most striking to me. It marked an important turning point in which the protagonist, through reflection, unintentionally reveals her pent up frustration toward her subordinate role. For me, this was the climax in which the themes of female oppression, a longing for freedom, and reality vs. illusion were made clear.

Growing up in a family of men and lacking a maternal figure, Cleofilas came to learn of women’s societal roles through the viewing of telenovelas; dramatic programming that, unlike their soap opera counterparts, come to a conclusive end after about a year. Much like any young girl raised on Disney films today, Cleofilas developed an overly romanticized perception of the world around her, viewing life through a rose-tinted lens that left her blind to the bitter truth that not all endings are “happily ever after.” It is my belief that telenovelas, aside from being dear to the protagonist, are also an allegoric representation of her married life—filled with brief passion that eventually ceases.

While analyzing the above paragraph, I picked up on subtle choices that Cisneros made in regards to language that gives readers the faintest hints of the protagonist’s true feelings, even if she may not be aware of them herself. One such example that is easy to overlook, but powerful when noticed, is the line, “She has to remind herself why she loves him…” For me, this was one of the saddest quotes of the piece. Cleofilas is incapable of effortlessly listing admirable traits found in her husband, and is instead forced to justify her “love” by providing examples of her daily chores, as if to reassure herself that she has worth in his life.

The author applies syntax in a similarly potent manner. The line “this man, this father, this rival, this keeper, this lord, this master, this husband till kingdom come” is ordered in such a way that it forms a sort of spectrum that grows progressively more condescending as the protagonists frustration builds. This quote is also an excellent example of iambic meter, in that every noun following the word “this” has a rhythmic emphasis, as if she’s beating a fist on a table or stomping her foot. It is also interesting to note that, while we know the husbands name is Juan Pedro, Cleofilas constantly refers to him in ways that avoid specifically naming him (“he,” “this man,” etc.), thus creating an emotional barrier between the couple.

While there is an obvious struggle between Cleofilas and her husband, I believe the true conflict of this story is man vs. self. Despite suffering physical harm at the hands of her husband, Cleofilas is at first quick to overlook this abuse because of her “silver lining” view on life. Even after proceeding to list off her husband’s offensive traits, Cleofilas has been so influenced by the telenovelas that she has convinced herself that her role as a house-keeper and child-bearer are proper duties as a woman. Never once does this belief cause her to question whether or not she could survive independently from men. It is not until later that this internal conflict is solved with the help of the stories dues ex machine, Felice.

Though it is unrelated the specific passage I chose to discuss, I wanted to ask if you think Cleofilas’ father said “I am your father, I will never abandon you” out of pure paternal affection, or because, as seen with Juan Pedro, it is expected that the men in their society provide care for the women?

I Am Joaquin: Reflection

While reading Gonzales’ piece “I Am Joaquin,” I couldn’t help but feel it was more of an essay, or a patriotic rant than a poem. Though, despite its lack of a specific meter, I can’t deny the heated emotion and sense of conviction this work of literature radiated. It’s obvious that Gonzales holds a great deal of pride for his heritage, and it comes as no surprise that he would harbor resentment for injustices inflicted on his people by “gringo” society. Still, in the face of manipulation, destruction, and a deep confusion as to who he is versus what society wants him to be, Gonzales makes it clear that even if his people may have “lost the economic battle” they have “won the struggle of cultural survival.”

For me, the most surprising aspect of this work was not only the author’s deep well of historical knowledge (the footnotes of which were very helpful for clarification), but also that, when discussing his native lands history, he connected himself to both its famous and infamous figures. He is both the mighty emperor Cuauhtémoc and the sword and flame of Cortes. For Gonzales to be able to relate himself to some of the more unpleasant people or events in Mexico’s history is something that I both respect and have a hard time understanding.

Growing up, it was difficult for me to feel pride for being a Caucasian after learning of the gruesome acts my ancestors had committed in the name of religion or self-interest. Instead, I’ve always tried to distance myself from the misdeeds of America’s past. I can’t even imagine having the guts to connect myself to both Theodore Roosevelt and James Earl Ray… Though, after more consideration, I think Gonzales was trying to make a point that while every culture has some skeletons in the closet, those experiences don’t define us as individuals, but rather assist us in seeing where our country has been and where we must head to right future wrongs. For this reason, I admire his ability to boldly draw these associations.

For the first few paragraphs of the poem, I was rather confused as to why Gonzales was calling himself Joaquin. Even after reading the short snippet on Joaquin Carrillo Murrieta, I was still curious to know more about the man who had claimed the title spot. From what I learned about this “Mexican Robin Hood,” Joaquin was a figure who embodied both good and bad, acting as a bandit as well as a sort of freedom activist. It’s no surprise that this anti-hero was the inspiration for the character Zorro and that Gonzales connected himself and his people to this man of mixed reputations.

One controversial issue this poem caused me to recall was the Arizona Senate Bill 1070 which stated that any alien over the age of 14 who remains in the country for more than 30 days must register with the U.S. government or face a hefty fee of $500. I remember feeling extremely bothered with this news when I first heard of the Bill, seeing it as a result of racists trying to ban “outsiders.” While the Bill has now been amended to exclude suspicions based on race and the fine lowered, I can sympathize with Gonzales by admitting that the Bill, no matter how much more politically correct it may appear, is still a blockade aimed at the Mexican community. Perhaps the citizens of Arizona should read “I Am Joaquin.”

(582 words)

Question: When reading the poem, did you get a sense that the author was angry, hopeful, or both? What was the most compelling thing that stood out, and how did it impact you?

Test Blog

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to make a test blog to check that this thing is up and running. I can't wait to share my thoughts and to learn from yours!

Sincerely,
Devon SRAMZ